Predator
by Siyavash
Summary: Oneshot. A wise, old voice yelled out to her in terrified warning: Fire! For she is but an animal. Animals yeild to fire. Fire is pain, fire is death, fire is ruin. Terror seized her and she turned to run, knowing she couldn't get far.


AN: Okay people, here's the deal. You probably will notice the trippiness of this fanfic…yeah, the deal is, it started out as a humor 'death to Mary-Sue' fic (you know black hair, black eyes, wears black, graceful as heck, refers to self as an animal etc, gets her butt handed to her) but it kind of came out… less funny than I'd intended…anyway, the result probably looks something like a 'little kid fic' trying to sit at the big kids table…or…something like that… not really sure… Um, it's… not really very organized or 'flowing' … and I'm betting word choice is kind of screwy…the only reason I posted it is because I REALLY need to improve my writing (hey, I'm a beta, I make _other_ peoples' stories pretty)… so flamers, come one, come all… As this is probably the only time I will ever work up the nerve to post anything I figured 'What the heck, there's tons of other lousy fanfiction out there, what's one more?" If you disagree and think it's heinous and belongs down in hell… well, chew it up, spit it out, and I eagerly await the regurgitated comments (yes, I do mean that sincerely, I'm not fishing for praise, promise.)

Good day to all. ((Waves)) Review! Because I command it! If you clicked it and read it, knowing full well what you were getting into, you're obligated to at least leave one or two words. You know, even 'good,' 'bad,' or 'Ah, this sucks!' are appreciated.

REVIEW… uh, please? Please, please, please?

Disclaimer: Don't own… imagine the possibilities though ((mental image of taking over the world with army of 'super people')) and a certain fire-throwing punk would be set loose on my little brother… yes, I'm immature, so?

(((-)))

She grinned and stretched her long arms as she looked down from her perch at what would soon be her latest kill. Her coal black eyes tracked the quarry as he turned down her alley, taking in every movement as he slowly walked, head hung low. New prey; there had not been an opportunity to feed herself in days and she could barely keep from salivating as her gaze swept over her beautiful soon-to-be victim.

No one ever came _into_ her den, she always had to go out and search for them… why was he here? No matter. She extended her claws as she tried to get a look at his face and noticed a long mane, black as her own, obscuring his features. Not all black, she corrected herself; a band of red cut through the dark, seeming as from an open wound.

She ran her tongue over long, sharp canines, anxious to taste the sweet carmine nectar, and silently dropped down on him.

But in a flash of red and black he'd swept out from underneath her… had he heard? Did she make a noise? She landed in a crouch, angered at her own blunder. In an instant she was back in the air, twisting away from a blow aimed at her head. So her prey intended to fight? How lovely! How much more rewarding his flesh would be, having had to work for it. She kept to a wall and watched as he removed his jacket and stood on alert, waiting for her to strike again. She couldn't keep her mouth from watering as she better saw what she would be feeding on.

Yes, he was beautiful, and she could already taste- those thoughts were quickly forced away, narrowing her focus to the hunt and only the hunt.

Creeping around, she lunged at him from behind, already feeling his flesh part between her claws. But he had dodged her again! No… no, not quite. She let a satisfied howl escape her as she raked her talons across his back, feeling them dig wonderfully, tantalizingly deep into muscle and tendon. He twisted around, grabbing her arm and hurling her at the opposite wall. She landed gracefully and held up her hand before her face. With great care, she licked the blood, _his blood_, from her fingers. She almost began to purr as it slid over her tongue, the first taste since her last hunt, days ago. Fresh and warm, it sharpened her hunger and made her all the more determined not to miss again.

Her ears perked up as she heard him growl. Was he feral, too? She stayed still, watching him, taking in every fluid movement. _Yes! Yes! _

A wide grin took ownership of her face. The gods had blessed her tonight… and she had waited long enough to reap their harvest. She bared her teeth and crouched low, he turned quickly towards her, catching the soft noise of displaced air. He was still for a moment, a snarl more ferocious even than hers, twisting his face and when he moved, she sprung.

She swung her left hand at him and he ducked, she came round and swung again, driving him back. And he continued to give ground, not making a sound, his movements confident and lazy as though she bored him. Her eyes narrowed, she would _not_ be dismissed by one of her own.

Yet every one of her strikes was met with a block, every blow with a counter blow. But she was honed by her growling stomach; she had _tasted _him, she would _have him_. She let out a cry of rage and plunged her hand towards his midsection, but he reacted, impossibly swift, and _caught_ it! No one had ever caught and managed to hold her, no one was fast enough. No one was strong enough. Rage spurred to unimaginable heights, she snapped her head forward and sank her teeth into his upper arm.

Yanking back, she tore away a large chunk of flesh and sprang away as he relinquished his hold on her. She dropped it on the ground in front of her, licking her lips before devouring the amount in great, greedy bites, delighting in each one. How wonderful it was; she could feel strength flowing back to her muscles with every glorious swallow of the sharp, pungent sustenance. She looked upon the young male, whom she'd just gotten her first portion of, he was prey again. Not an enemy, but prey. She quickly finished off the woefully inadequate amount of food and prepared to attack again.

He stood, waiting for her, blood flowing from his left arm and angering her at the waste. She just barely mastered the need to jump forward and lap it up. Instead, she settled for going in low and swiping at his right leg. He willingly took the hit and five long, red lines blossomed, stretching from thigh to low on his calf, vertically carving the limb apart. As though immune to pain he turned with the momentum and came around with a devastating kick; roughly sending her back.

She picked herself up and retreated into the shadows again. This was how it went for what seemed like hours; she would move in, blows would be exchanged and she would pull back. Eventually, she knew he would tire, and that would be the end of it, but for now she couldn't let him hurt her any more than he already had. Wounds meant a long, painful death, brought on by sickness and infection. Her sister had fallen prey to such a fate, and she was _not _willing to follow.

She waited. She attacked, and she ran. As she circled him, growling now and again, he stood head down, always listening. She would leap and he would turn, either batting her away or attempting to draw her out. He was larger than she, and as she now knew, stronger as well. If she let him bait her, there was a chance, just a chance, that she'd be_ his_ prey, tonight.

But he had reason to be wary of her, as well. With her continued attacks, more blood escaped his body to form the smallest of pools beneath him.

Time stretched long, passing gradually as she waited. At last, at last he grew weary. Calmly, he stood tall and unwavering, more blood trickling from several long but shallow gashes scattered over his body and she knew it was time. Finally set to gather the rewards of her patience, she went in to finish him… only to have his hand wrap around her throat; his grip, astonishingly strong_, Is he not weakened at all?_ and swing her harmlessly past him. She reacted before she even hit the ground, whirling her body back about to deliver a stunning blow to his left temple.

She landed and scampered out of range, turning back and grinning as she saw him drop to one knee. With a cry of euphoria, she opened her mouth, eager to sink teeth into his throat. She quickly lifted herself up into the air to come and put and end to her hunger. Time slowed horribly, just as it always did in the last moments. She saw that savage face turn to her as she came closer… closer… she could see the jugular… just waiting to be laid open… closer… closer… _Mine!_

Her jaws clamped shut-

-on nothing but air. Frustration soared on wings granted to it by this fool. He lay beneath her, his forearm lodged up against her own neck, slowly pushing her back. She looked and could see blood flowing down his throat from where her teeth had just missed a lethal bite. Her eyes drew upward and met his. Black as death and gleaming with life, he was indeed as much of a beast as she.

The force of her last hit had vertically split the skin of his temple. From brow to jaw, his skin was divided and more of that dark claret ran down the side of his face and into his eye. He didn't blink it away, not for an instant averting his attention from his fellow hunter. Momentarily, she found herself frozen, caught and held fast by the beauty of this enraged creature beneath her.

The blood continued to seep out of his cut, tempting her to reach down and lick it up, but she didn't dare. She didn't move at all, gripped by his gaze as he glared hatefully upwards at the one who had offended him. Yes, a beast, a demon, a breath-taking, magnificent animal… one who commanded her respect…

But he was also her meal, and no amount of esteem or beauty would save him from her. She squawked as he rolled her over, and with one hand, pushed herself back up, while swiping at his cheek with the other. He pulled back quickly and she just barely caught her hit. Small, jagged red lines appeared on his cheek pathetic, as though from a small cat. He smirked and in retaliation, his fist slammed up into her jaw, forcing her head back. She screeched again, and wrestled with him, trading blow for blow, losing all sense of self in the battle until it was abruptly halted.

They had rolled over and over, until for no apparent reason, he stopped, letting her remain on top of him. Thrown off by his sudden change, she searched his eyes for an answer: they had begun to glow! A wise, primitive voice, old as time yelled out to her in terrified warning: _Fire! _

She sprang away, but was not quick enough; she looked from his right hand, now ablaze, to her own limb. Skin was blackened in places and peeling; in others it _bubbled_ in a way she had never known flesh to do. But this wound brooks no disgust… no, not to her- only a terrible pain that she had not known directly, but instinct had warned her of. Her rage was replaced with fear as that very affliction swept over her for the first time. She was an animal. Animals run from fire. Fire is pain, fire is death, fire is ruin.

Completely dominated by untamed alarm, she fled. But like always, fire moved faster than any living thing could hope to escape. It scorched into her back, the force sending her slamming into a pile of debris.

That same panic spurred her back up, heedless her charred back and of the long, deep gash that now decorated her stomach. It fueled her getaway; a hurt, terrified whining wrenching itself from her throat. But he was in front of her, eyes burning into her own and rooting her to the ground.

How? He was an animal, just as she was; how could he bend the flame to his will? For a strange moment, she was torn between dropping to the ground in worship, ripping his throat out, and resuming her mad dash for safety. But… then it was gone… the fire was gone. His eyes now shone only with some strange, foreign mirth. Did he think to defeat her without it?

Her abandoned rage returned with a vengeance and she felt her hackles rise. She backed away from him growling and spitting, her black eyes lit of their own savage blaze. Her claws scraped along the ground as she dropped back down on all fours and her mouth opened wide to reveal long, pointed teeth still saturated with his blood; the nectar was flung upon the ground as she threw her head back and bid him come.

She was an animal… and like an animal, she finally looked upon her new adversary and internally cowered. Because now, beneath his dark mane, she saw neither the eyes of a beast like herself, nor the eyes of the flame… these were the eyes of a man.

She saw it in the taunting, contemptuous glow that washed over her. She saw it in their disgusting, unnatural, sparkling exultation. Animals like herself, kill for need, to obey an age old instinct. That gratification is pure and worthwhile. Fire delights in its work as well, it dances over the havoc it wreaks, but fire is a slaughterer, heedless and unconcerned- never regarding who falls before it.

This was neither.

No, this was not the fierce, proud delight that she felt at a kill, this was not the innocent, careless merriment of the pyre, this was a cold, ruthless bloodlust, harnessed and relished in by none but humanity. He killed neither out of necessity, nor out of rashness. No, no; he killed to satisfy himself. He killed to _please_ himself… and very soon, she could tell, he intended to be very, _very_ pleased. She saw that anticipation and his fresh, saccharine blood turned bitter on her lips.

This was no prey, this was no hunter or butcher; this was simply a killer; a disgusting, monstrous killer.

Swiftly, he moved in and drove his fist up, under her chin, into her throat. Choking and spluttering, she reared back, leaving herself unprotected. Before she had taken two steps, she felt his hand grab a fistful of her hair, holding her as he drove her against the wall, pinning her, helpless.

Breathing heavily, she looked upon him, this man, this monster who'd turned on her. She was not sure she thought him beautiful anymore…

He was not smiling, but she saw his rapture, she saw the kind of joy one thought it possible to die from; it was here, in this human. This was how he took his pleasure. His eyes did not glow red, nor did the magnificent primal spirit dance within them. They remained black, full not of life, but of want, no, of _need _and a nauseating savor. It was alien to her, it was cruel, it was disgusting, hellish -

Both dark cavities lowered, freeing her from that vile gaze. She sucked in a breath as his fingers probed the gash in her abdomen. She closed her eyes and whimpered as he slowly pulled each edge apart and she let out a full blown scream when he grinned at her and slowly, deliberately dug his hand _into _the wound. His fingers prodded and twisted, pushing muscle aside, tearing at sinew, and scraping along beneath her ribs as they bore ever deeper.

That once wild face blurred before her as, for the first time in her life, she found herself crying; a heaving, dull, stupid noise made by a dumb animal. Her legs grew weak beneath her and gave out. With his other hand, he caught her against his chest, in some mockery of care and lowered her to the ground, holding her like a child as she sobbed, her head turned up against his shoulder.

There was no burning inside her. No burning, no fire. Just pain, yes, pain. No claws, no fire. No burn, no cut. _Stop._

He held her against him, one hand buried in her gut, the other tangled in her hair as he supported her head, gently stroking it… like one would a favorite dog. She knew not how long she remained like that, pain made minutes seem as hours…

Within herself, she felt him grab and wrench. He forcibly shoved her back away from him and in a harsh, jerking motion, _ripped _a handful of intestine right out of her body. She didn't even have time to scream her pain and horror as he tossed the glistening heap away and swooped down on her, the same blood soaked hand wrapping securely around her neck.

He did not tighten his grip immediately and she took the opportunity to spit a mouthful of blood at him, both his and her own. But she had little strength left and only managed to lightly spatter his black shirt. Annoyance sparked in his eyes and any mercy this monster might have possessed, he was robbed of.

Slowly… agonizingly slowly, he began to crush her. _Faster! _She wanted to beg him to cease his inflictions. It wasn't enough… it was too slow… this human was torturing her as only one of his kind was able.

A beast would have finished her off and eaten her long ago… and he had a beast in him… she'd seen it! Yet he insisted on dealing her such a slow end. Why? Vengeance was a human concept, was that his reasoning? Was he punishing her for something? But… no righteous, vindicated fury sparkled down at her from his eyes… why was he doing it? Only for his own sick fulfillment?

Distraught and pained, she silently willed him,_ begged him_ to replace his hand with a gaping maw and rip her throat open, quickly finishing it all… and for a moment she thought he would. But the want fled from his eyes as quickly as it had appeared, and his half-open mouth was shut again.

His eyes were dark, all of the delight he took, be it of the animal, the man or the blaze, was gone from him. The only things visible to her now, were a hollow satisfaction and a vague anticipation for his task to be over with. Her dimming mind thought it strange how quickly he'd changed.

She gave a frail, gargled whimper before the ability to do so was lost to her. With that plaintive cry she beseeched him to stop his torment... for that radiant hunter to return and deliver her from her misery.

But he wouldn't; no feral shine reappeared in those black eyes, no ferocious rage returned to him. And so she died slowly, her body forced into painful death throes. She flailed about in his grasp, flecks of bloody foam flying from her gaping mouth, her labors weakening by the second until they dulled to a pitiful, almost non-existent twitching.

With finally darkening vision, she stared upwards; silently cursing the one before her… dimly praying for her kin, for the beautiful, untamed creature that lived, caged within him… he was smiling at her… she tried to bare her teeth at him…

She was an animal, just an animal… she was able to hold respect for the beast that had fought her, and she knew terror of the fire that had wounded her… but she could only ever feel revulsion for the man who had killed her.

Warren released his hold on the mad girl's throat as he saw her eyes glaze over. He lifted his hand, turning it over and around, studying the glistening blood for a moment, before calmly wiping it off on her ragged black shirt. He repressed a wince as he somewhat gingerly, rose to his feet. He nodded, satisfied, at the black eyes, full of useless detest… eyes that would glare up at nothing at all, until they were eaten away. No one would ever come for her-no one; not here. No one, save the crows, the maggots and the rats.

He laughed, a hollow, unbalanced noise, as he saw the small furry creatures already making their way over, cautious and wary. Lightning fast, he snatched one up, his fingers holding it still as he knelt again and gently rubbed its open, squealing mouth over the corpse's bloody face. The squirming animal seemed not to notice, until he let it go.

Free, it scampered behind her head, burrowing into dark, matted tresses. But as he stepped back, he noticed it lick at the blood surrounding its mouth and begin to bite into the carrion, soon joined by its fellows.

With a strange half-smile teasing his features, he brushed his sweat and blood slicked hair back off his face and went, limping only slightly, to retrieve his jacket. Slinging it over his shoulder, he headed slowly off without a backward glance, to inform Will and the others that the Predator had been found and sufficiently dealt with.


End file.
